


apples to apples

by asexuelf



Series: Month of Salentine's [17]
Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Cute, Domestic, Drabble, Kid Fic, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22748659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asexuelf/pseuds/asexuelf
Summary: It's Diana's first day of school and Travis is terrified.
Relationships: Sal Fisher/Travis Phelps
Series: Month of Salentine's [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620466
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	apples to apples

**Author's Note:**

> this started out as fluff, i swear. but then i started being small-town gay on main and it became sad :-( also, despite travis and sal being husbands, they arent legally wed
> 
> another tiny one for yall! hope you enjoy the extra salentines ajdjskd
> 
> warnings in this one for fear and implied homophobia
> 
> i hope you enjoy! 💖

Travis is hyperventilating. It's silly - he tells himself it's silly - but his chest feels like someone is sitting on it.

"Have a great day, Diana," Sal is saying, his hands gentle over his daughter's matching pigtails. He leans forward and Diana takes the hint, leaving a spitty child's kiss on the cheek of his prosthetic. "Make lots of friends and never be afraid to tell the teacher if someone's being mean, okay?"

_We're raising a narc?_ Travis wants to joke. He finds he can barely move his lips, however, because they're wobbling too hard.

Somehow still looking tinier than anything in the small child's hallway, Diana shuffles over to him, staring up at him with her big dark eyes. They're closer to beetle black than his own brown - it's almost awkward how much she takes after Maple, though her skin is tawny like his, her hair curly and dark brown. And they'd wanted to keep it a mystery who her biological father was between the two. Heh.

Sighing, Diana tilts her head cat-like and raises an eyebrow. "Well? Are you going to hug me or just cry, you big baby?"

Oh, yeah. She takes after Travis alright.

Though Travis recognizes the amusement in his voice, Sal is quick to admonish her. "Diana! What have we said about being rude?"

She doesn't respond, ignoring him in lieu of lifting her arms up for Travis to hold her. No, not hold. Just hug her goodbye.

He bites back a sob. He fails to contain the sound, fails to contain the tears stinging in his eyes.

"Ugh." Diana rolls her eyes, walking forward to hug around his legs, patting his back tiredly. "It's okay, Daddy. Didn't you cry enough at home yet?"

That makes Travis laugh, a wry, heartbroken sound. "You'd think so, huh? But no. I'm just so proud of you and I'll miss you so much."

"I'll miss you too," she says simply. 

When he finally kneels down, she just hugs him, up on the tips of her toes in her new sneakers, her dark blue backpack feeling way too heavy under his hands. It squishes strangely as he squeezes her tightly, the imprints of crayon boxes and paper folders poking out against the fabric.

She sighs contentedly. It makes his chest ache even more.

"Maybe we can hold off on school another year," he suggests. Or, tries to. It's a little hard to speak through the tears.

Sal gives a low, affectionate laugh. He's kneeling beside them too suddenly, his voice deep and muffled near his husband's ear. "Travis… It's just a few hours. She'll be okay."

Travis sniffles. Another laugh, and then a hand is on his shoulder, just beside Diana's tiny arm.

" _You'll_ be okay," he whispers. "If we don't hurry, though, she'll be late to class."

"Okay." He lets go of her. It's as difficult as cutting off his own hand. He says to her, "I love you. I love you so much."

"I love you too. Are you sure you'll do okay without me?"

She shoots Sal an uncertain look, causing his eyes to squint adorably behind the prosthetic. "Yes, honey, we'll be okay."

Travis takes a shuddering breath. "If you need to call us at any time, tell the teacher. Run to the office if you have to. If they don't let you call me, I'll sue."

Diana nods solemnly. "Okay, Daddy." And then she turns around, looks at her classroom door and the uncomfortable-looking teacher standing beside it, and sighs again. "Well, bye-bye, Dad and Daddy!"

Travis nearly collapses watching her go. He has such a hard time ever letting her go, but now she'll be _out of his sight_ , where he can't possibly hope to reach her, for _hours_. Almost every day of the week from now 'til forever.

As she enters the classroom, the teacher forces a smile, then shoots an odd look at he and Sal. Then she enters the classroom as well, closing the door behind her.

"Yeesh," murmurs Sal.

A cold pit has settled in his gut. "Are we sure this is a good idea? Maybe we should keep looking for a school…"

"We'll try this for now." He leans his head on Travis' shoulder before quickly pulling away. "Depending on how it goes for her, we'll see about our other options."

"Of course." Rubbing at the tear tracks on his face, Travis nods and wills away the sick feeling in his stomach.

They walk out of the tiny preschool, making their way to the car in silence. It's cool outside, fall peeking out from summer, and leaves have already begun to fall. It should be beautiful, but all Travis can think of is his little girl, alone. And that look her teacher had given them…

Sal puts his hand over his in the car. "Let's go home. I'll make you tea and draw you a bath."

"Yeah," he breathes. He's shaking so much, he finds himself grateful that Sal took the driver's seat. "Yeah, okay."

"Okay." Sal's hand is warm on his.

Then, Sal begins to drive, letting the world around them become distant and separate. All that's left for the next ten minutes is the destination. Then, the waiting game.

It's going to be a long day.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading 💖


End file.
